Gladiator II walks in its predecessors footsteps for better or worse
Paul Mescals Lucius Verus leadsGladiator II.
However, Ridley Scott leans way too heavily into the parallels between Lucius and Maximus.
One area in whichGladiator IIimproves over its predecessors is in the action scenes.
Paramount Pictures
Combined with this is the grandiose nature of Rome.
His characters intentions keep everyone guessing as Washington dances across the spectrum of good and bad.
Up until the very end, no one knows how to categorize him.
The byproduct of this is that Washington casts a major shadow over his fellow supporting actors.
Gladiator IIbecomes mostly about Lucius and Macrinus by default, with everyone else disappearing into the background.
The biggest disappointment here is Pedro Pascals Marcus Acacius.
Instead, he becomes a narrative means to an end when he could have had a more meaningful role.
This is symbolic ofGladiator IIoverall.
It goes large and loud, but it chooses fan service over progress every single time.
Dont be surprised if everyone forgets about it within a few weeks time.
